Children's home run by Blossom Care Group Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 1 Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to three young people with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is without a registered manager. A new manager has been appointed and will need to apply to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 14 December 2021

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/09/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 3

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improvement to be good

There are three children living in the home. Children have positive relationships with staff, they feel settled and like living in the home. One child moved on after only a short time. He moved on in an unplanned way because staff could not meet his needs safely and effectively.

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improvement to be good

The home environment in some places lacks care and attention. For example, there was broken office furniture and overflowing rubbish in bins outside the house. This was removed during the inspection once it was pointed out by the inspector. In some places, there are marks on walls and minor repair work is needed around the home. Not keeping a well-maintained home environment does not help children to develop a sense of pride in their home.

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improvement to be good

Children have weekly meetings with staff to talk about their likes and dislikes. They use this time to reflect on their week and think about what has gone well. Staff are undertaking direct work with children. For example, staff have talked to children about the use of offensive language against staff. However, there is a lack of evaluation about how effective this work is. In addition, staff do not always link direct work to children’s plans and desired outcomes.

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improvement to be good

Staff implemented a plan to help a child stop vaping. However, this has not been done consistently. In addition, staff are not keeping children’s health records up to date. As a result, it is not clear how staff are supporting them to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This does not fully promote children’s good health.

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improvement to be good

Children have their friends to stay over. This helps to create the feel of a family home and gives children typical childhood experiences. However, it is not always clear from records how this has been assessed and agreed in line with what a good parent would do.

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improvement to be good

Staff take the time to find out about children’s interests and hobbies and support children to experience a range of activities. For example, children attend boxing and have enjoyed recent days out to a theme park and go-karting. Staff have supported one child with information about faith and cultural centres to help them feel connected to the local community. This promotes the child’s identity and helps to give them a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

Children’s education is promoted by staff and managers. Staff take one child to school every day and collect them despite school being some distance away from the home. One child is sitting their exams and has been accepted onto a college course for the next academic year. This promotes children’s learning. Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 4

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments lack detail and do not give enough information to staff to help them to understand children’s risks and behaviours. Nor do these documents set out clear guidance for staff to follow. This can lead to staff supporting children inconsistently.

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improvement to be good

When there have been incidents involving children damaging furniture in anger or concerns about children consuming alcohol and using cannabis, staff have not undertaken follow-up work with children to help them understand why such things are harmful to them. This does not fully promote children’s welfare and safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff only use physical intervention as a last resort. Records show that managers review such incidents and reflect on any learning. However, on one occasion a manager restrained a child without having been trained in the home’s approach to physical intervention.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of children harming themselves are low. When they do happen, staff respond and ensure that they talk to children to try and understand how they are feeling and what they can do to help. Children are offered one-to-one support with the in-house clinician should they want this.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint. There have been no complaints from children. However, there have been complaints from neighbours. Managers have responded to these complaints and have taken steps to repair relations with neighbours. This included inviting neighbours over to the home to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by holding a barbecue. Children and staff helped with the preparations. This helps children to feel part of the community.

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improvement to be good

Procedures around the storage and administration of medication are thorough. The manager undertakes weekly audits and has a robust system in place to ensure that procedures are being followed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A new manager and responsible individual have been recently appointed. It is not clear how the registered provider has assessed the suitability and fitness of the manager and if they have recruited him safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Information from placing authorities about children’s risks and behaviours has not been fully considered by managers when making decisions about new children moving into the home. This led to one child only living in the home for a short time and they left in an unplanned way because staff could not safely manage the child’s needs and behaviours. Other children were affected by high levels of disruption during this period. Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 5 Managers have reflected on this experience and have implemented additional processes to help them match children better. However, the matching assessment for a child who has moved into the home since then shows that the learning has not been implemented. This document does not fully reflect how this child has been matched to his peers and does not consider staff’s skills and experience to meet the child’s needs. While this child is currently settled, vulnerabilities remain in care

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

planning which have the potential to affect children’s welfare, progress and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have worked directly with children to supplement staffing when there are shortages and to provide additional support to staff when they struggled to manage one child’s behaviour. This has had an impact on their ability to effectively managed and oversee the service. They are aware of the strengths of the home and areas for development. An action plan to address shortfalls has been drawn up but has yet to be implemented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers recognise that staff and children have been through a challenging time and that staff require additional support to help them to develop skills to ensure that they can manage children who present with challenging behaviours. Despite this, a new child has moved into the home before managers felt assured that they had implemented their plans to improve practice. This has the potential to affect the quality of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are receiving regular supervisions. Staff generally feel supported and talked positively about their work. Staff have access to training. However, there is a lack of clarity about what training is considered mandatory and what the timescales are for completion. Managers are aware of this and are developing a plan to be clearer about training expectations to ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are provided with consistent support to address issues relating to vaping, cannabis and alcohol use and that staff work with children to help them achieve a healthy lifestyle. 31 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff ensuring that they undertake work with children that is linked to their plans and outcomes and that the effectiveness of this work is evaluated.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s risk and behaviour management plans contain relevant information and guidance for staff to follow. 31 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 8 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers should ensure that matching assessments are clear about the needs of a child and how they have assessed that they can meet their needs. 31 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children;

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 31 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 9 (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that discrepancies with regard to employment history have been addressed, relevant references have been received and verified and that there is a clear record on file showing the decision-making around suitability.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 31 August 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home environment is well maintained and cared for. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15 , paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blossom Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 56 Rolleston Road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 0JZ

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Inspector

Shazana Jamal, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2617199 11 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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